Real Estate Blog of Rich Trifone

Pinterest is a beautiful thing. Giving us a truly endless supply of crafts, hacks, tips, and recipes for our homes. But as infamous as Pinterest is for its helpfulness is the plethora of “Pinterest Fails” it leaves in its wake. Here’s how to avoid making your home look like a giant craft project instead of the stylish, chic abode you’re dreaming of.

The most important thing to keep in mind is “just because you can, doesn’t mean you should”. Okay, that might sound mean but let me explain.

Just as you’d carefully select high-end pieces for your home you should carefully select your projects. It can be tempting to do #allthethings since they are cheap, easy and let’s be honest, fun. However, overloading on craft projects or any form of decor quickly crowds out style.

So be as strategic with which projects fit your current surroundings as you would if investing a large chunk of change into a piece. Select projects that are cohesive with the current design of your room and home. If your home is sleek and modern but you add a country chic style piece it’s going to look out of place and throw off your whole room.

Go neutral. This doesn’t mean your whole room needs to be beige (boring!) but reaching for neutral colors more often than not will keep your home looking classy and stylish. If you pull out any home decorating magazine you’ll notice that most of the room is neutral. This allows for the pieces you do choose to pull in color with to really pop and take the spotlight.

One strength of crafts is bringing in a variety of furniture and decor. Again, looking at home decor magazines you’ll notice many rooms don’t have full matching sets. Mix feminine with masculine pieces and soft, smooth fabrics with rich, textures. This brings dimension and interest to your room while scratching the itch to go hunting for great fixer-upper finds.

Less is more. To create a stylish home space is key. This also means you might want to do some decluttering in your home. Stuff has a knack for building up. But by creating lots of breathing space between items you create more room for the items you create to be put on display and admired.

Limit trends. I know this one is hard! Limit the number of trendy items you create to prevent your decor from becoming quickly outdated. And overdoing a trend can make a room feel uncomfortable and stiff. For example, one pallet board craft can be fun. But having several in every room of your house will quickly have your home feeling like a giant craft project. Some other trends pushing their welcome? Chevron and copper everything.

Perhaps one of the most challenging things about buying a home is saving for the downpayment. Collecting such a large sum of money can be difficult. The truth is that most buyers actually think that they need more than they actually do to buy a home. The downpayment doesn’t need to be a barrier to your path to homeownership. There are so many programs that offer low and even no down payment home loans. Read on to learn more about down payments and programs that can help you.

First, let’s look at what a down payment is and how it can help you. If you put 10% down on a $200,000 home that’s $20,000. The downpayment minus the purchase price of the home is $180,000, and that’s how much your home loan will be. The more money you can put down on the house, the lower your home loan will be and the lower your monthly mortgage payments will be. A large down payment can indeed save you in the long term. If you’re looking to move into a home sooner rather than later, saving a considerable sum isn’t always possible.

Low Downpayment Mortgages

You need to decide what type of home loan you need by the amount of downpayment you’re willing and able to put down. Some benefits go along with making a down payment, but there are some negatives.

By making a substantial down payment you may despite your savings, leaving little money for emergencies. Your mortgage rate may not be affected by a large downpayment either. It can be hard to decide what type of loan to get and just how much you really can afford.

FHA Loans

FHA loans are among the most popular type of home loans. The downpayment that’s required is just 3.5%. The requirements are simple, and you don’t have to be a first-time homebuyer to qualify.

The drawback to an FHA loan is that you cannot cancel the monthly mortgage insurance that comes along with it unless you refinance the home. Traditional mortgage insurance is canceled when you have built up 20% equity in the house, but this isn’t the case with FHA loans.

Another positive about FHA loans is that your credit score doesn’t have to be stellar in order for you to qualify. Some lenders approve FHA loans with credit scores as low as 580.

VA Home Loans

Buyers who have current or former military service status can qualify for this zero down mortgage. These loans are benefits to veterans and current members of the Armed Forces. While no downpayment is required, buyers may put down any amount they wish. The only requirements are that buyers be members of the military either currently serving for 90 days or two years of active duty service if not an active member.

The above options are great for those who can’t afford or don’t wish to put down large down payments but still hope to be homeowners.

If you’re an apartment renter ready to take the plunge into home ownership, there are a lot of reasons to be excited! Owning your own home does bring with it additional work and responsibilities, but the feeling of pride that accompanies it makes it all worthwhile!

Once you get used to the idea that “the buck stops here” and that there’s no landlord to handle repairs and maintenance any more, it won’t take long to get into the rhythm of being an established property owner. Here are a few tips to help ensure that your first experience with home ownership is a satisfying one.

Get a good real estate agent. A real estate professional can provide you with valuable guidance, advice, and information about houses you’re considering in your desired neighborhoods and price ranges. A buyers’ agent can help you avoid many of the potential pitfalls of buying your first home and help you stay within budget. They’ll assist you in clarifying your priorities and work on your behalf to find homes that meet your requirements. A service-oriented agent will not only point out the positive aspects of houses you’re considering, but they’ll also discuss ideas for adapting the home to your specific needs and lifestyle.

Hire an experienced property inspector. A seasoned home inspector can take a close look at the condition of the house and property you’re considering and help make sure there are no major structural defects, safety issues, or operational problems with the home’s systems and components. Although every property inspector approaches their job a little differently, their inspection service should include everything from the roof and foundation to the plumbing, electrical, and HVAC systems. They may also report to you on the condition of the home’s insulation, its exterior, and any existing or potential drainage problems on the property. Certain aspects of the house may be excluded from the inspection if it’s difficult or unsafe to gain access to them. A top-notch home inspector can also provide useful insights into repairs that need to be made on the house. As a side note, professional property inspectors are often members of The American Society of Home Inspectors and follow the organization’s Standards of Practice.

Visit a lot of different houses for sale before making a final decision. It also pays to have a checklist with you to keep track of how each house stacks up to your requirements and expectations.

While your emotions will invariably play a role in your final choice, many other factors should also be taken into account, including the character of the neighborhood, proximity to conveniences and shopping, and the quality of the school district. Your real estate agent and/or the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development can provide you with a handy checklist for evaluating and comparing homes for sale.

It must have been frightening, in the days before the internet, to move to a new place that you knew little about. The culture, the people, the things to do–all of these things are now at our fingertips thanks to Google and others.

However, it can still be difficult to get used to a new town, especially if you’re moving far away from your previous home. So, in this article, I’m going to give you some tips on how to investigate your new town. That way, you’ll have a good idea of what kind of things you can do for fun, where to eat, and countless other things you might want to know about the place you’ll soon call home.

The lay of the land

A good place to start your search is on Google Maps. From here you can explore your future neighborhood; find out how close you are to grocery stores, parks, hospitals, and even get an estimate on how long your work commute will take each day.

Since many of these places will have ratings and reviews, you can also take some time to read the reviews for popular places around town.

Eating around town

It can seem like you’re always flipping a coin when you eat at a new restaurant. When you move to a new town, you’ll have to discover new favorite places to eat. However, you don’t have to do these experiments on your own.

Check out Yelp reviews for local restaurants and cafes to get a sense of the pricing and atmosphere. This way you’ll give yourself the best possible chance of enjoying the experience.

Meeting new people

Making friends is hard enough as an adult. In today’s world, many people meet their friends online or through other connections, rather than simply hanging around with their neighbors.

Luckily, sites like Facebook and Meetup make it easier to introduce yourself to like-minded people.

Browse local meetups that you’re interested in, and don’t be afraid to try out a new activity or attend a paint night–you might meet new people and discover a new hobby all at once.

Most towns have a strong presence on Facebook in terms of things like groups and events. Joining local groups will give you an idea of the type of things people do for fun around town and give you a way to introduce yourself to new people.

Read the news

Many towns are covered by a local or regional newspaper. They can often be found online or at a local library or cafe. These newspapers are often the key to discovering the good and the bad about your new home, tipping you off to the things you’ll want to pay attention to when you move.